On 31st August, Sharp signed an agreement with Nanjing CEC-PANDA LCD Technology Co., Ltd to carry out the project for production of LCD panels using 6th generation glass substrates and construction of its LCD panel plant.

This new company is an LCD production company established jointly by Nanjing-city and Nanjing China Electronics Panda Group Corporation.

Sharp will collaborate with the new company on construction of the LCD panel plant adopting the 6th generation glass substrates in Nanjing-city and production of LCD panels, by providing its LCD production technology and know-how as well as the sales of 6th generation production equipment of Kameyama Plant No.1 incorporating cutting-edge production technology. The plant is scheduled to start operation by March 2011.

In addition to the production of LCD panels using the 6th generation glass substrates, Sharp, Nanjing-city and China Electronics Corporation have signed a memorandum of intent to establish a joint venture to produce LCD panels using 8th generation glass substrates, to meet the ever-growing demand for LCD panels in Chinese market.

Furthermore, to strengthen the LCD panel production and LCD TV businesses in China, together with the above LCD panel project, Sharp will establish an "LCD R&D Center" to research and develop from LCD panels to LCD TVs. In April 2010, Sharp is planning to construct the center in Nanjing-city.

To meet the increasing demand for LCD panels from worldwide TV manufacturers, Sharp has been increasing the production capacity of Kameyama Plant No.2 from this August. In addition, Sharp is planning to start operation of a new LCD panel plant in Sakai-city from this October, as well as starting LCD panel production project in China. Sharp will continue to strengthen its global production system to achieve greater cost competitiveness.